ADULT CHILD-PARENT RELATIONSHIPS

In this essay I review recent studies of adult child-parent relationsh ips, with an emphasis on studies using nationally representative sampl es. Adult children and their parents have frequent contact and emotion ally satisfying relationships, but exchanges of practical and financia l assistance are uncommon. Continuing relationships between adult chil dren and their parents depend on women's work as kinkeepers. Parental divorce greatly weakens adult children's relationships with their fath ers and also tends to weaken relationships with mothers. Adult child-p arent relationships are not stronger in black families than in white f amilies. The most pressing need for future research is the development of new theoretical formulations.